Kashmir University student goes missing, protests erupt on campus

The missing student participated in recent protests over the death of two civilians in Kulgam

Protesters wave an ISIS flag and throw stones at security forces protesting death of civilians during a gun battle in Kashmir earlier this month (AFP File Photo)

An undergraduate student at the Kashmir University (KU), who was active in some of the recent political agitations on the campus, went missing a couple of days ago, triggering protest on Thursday.

Senior police officers told HT that the student was not “picked up by the police” nor was he “wanted in any case”.

“It’s a routine missing-person case,” an officer said, adding efforts are on to locate him.

Aqib Malik, a resident of south Kashmir’s Shopian district and a third semester LLB student at the university, was seen taking active part in recent protests against the death of two civilians in Kulgam.

Two civilians were killed and scores injured during a gun-battle in Kulgam earlier this month, in which two soldiers and four militants were killed.

In the protests that ensued on the KU campus, slogans in favour of secession of Kashmir and condemning the rights violation were raised. Videos and photos of protests, many uploaded by the participating students themselves, went viral on social media.

Malik was last seen in the afternoon of February 21, his friends said. Police said he could not be traced yet.

During Thursday’s protests on the KU campus, students demanded that all efforts should be made to trace Malik. The protestors said they were agitated over the institution’s alleged lack of concern.

The university, however, denied the allegation.

“The vice-chancellor has written to the DGP urging him to investigate the case in view of the concerns raised by the students. We have also apprised the chief minister and the governor’s offices of the development,” a spokesperson of the university told HT.